Electronic commerce (“e-commerce”) is an increasingly popular way of selling products and services, referred to herein collectively and interchangeably as “items,” to consumers. Activities of e-commerce typically, but not exclusively, include browsing for items to purchase; comparing various aspects such as price, color, warranties, and the like of items for purchase; inspecting product details of an item; purchasing one or more items; and the like. The popularity of e-commerce has prompted many vendors to make their products and services available over electronic networks, such as the Internet, and computer users have correspondingly embraced e-commerce as a legitimate shopping environment.
One feature provided by some e-commerce sites is the ability to create electronic wish lists. An electronic wish list, which may be referred to herein as a “wish list,” is a list of items maintained by a user that may be purchased by the user or by others. Many people make their wish lists public, so that when a gift-giving occasion arises, such as a baby shower, wedding, birthday, holiday, anniversary, graduation, retirement, and the like, others are knowledgeable of what is desired as a gift and where to purchase the gift.
E-commerce sites that provide wish list functionality often include a mechanism for searching for a friend's wish list. Once a friend's wish list has been discovered, the wish list can be viewed and items from the wish list may be purchased. It is, therefore, a simple matter to locate a friend's wish list and to purchase items from the wish list. It has not been previously possible, however, to view items added to wish lists in real-time as they are added to a friend's wish list or to other public wish lists.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.